Archive for February 14th, 2011

Happy Valentine’s Day! In order to have something to contribute here today, I was poking into the history of Valentine’s Day, or Saint Valentine’s Day. I learned that not much is known about the historical figure “Saint Valentine.” If he existed at all, it was in ancient Rome in the 3rd century. The Roman Catholic Church, which administers the Saints Hall of Fame, isn’t even sure. The official church position, as I understand it, is something like this: St. Valentine may or may not have existed, and we’re not going to tell you that you have to revere him, but if you want to, that’s ok, too. Now, those are my words, and if I’m wrong I hope someone will correct me. (I don’t, really.) Perhaps such an obscure and unknowable character is the perfect patron for a day that has come to represent fascination with the opposite sex.